Soil quality changes in land degradation as indicated by soil chemical, biochemical and microbiological properties in a karst area of southwest Guizhou, China

Not only the nutritional status and biological activity but also the soil ecological functioning or soil health has been impacted profoundly by land degradation in the karst area of southwest China where the karst ecosystems are generally considered as extremely vulnerable to land degradation under intensified land-use changes. The objectives of this study are to elucidate the changes in overall soil quality by a holistic approach of soil nutritional, biological activity, and soil health indicators in the karst area as impacted by intense cultivation and vegetation degradation. Topsoil samples were collected on selected eco-tesserae in a sequence of land degradation in a karst area of southwest Guizhou in 2004. The soil nutrient pools of organic carbon (C_org), extractable extracellular carbon (C_ext), total soil nitrogen (N_t), alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (N_ah), total phosphorus (P_t), available phosphorus (P_a) were analyzed by wet soil chemistry. The soil biological properties were studied by means of measurements of microbial biomass carbon (both by fumigation–extraction, FE-C_mic, and by calculation from substrate-incubation respiration, SIR-C_mic) of respiration [respiration without addition of substrates, basal respiration (BR), and potential respiration (PR) with substrate-incubation] and of soil enzyme activities (invertase, urease, and alkaline phosphatase). Soil health status was assessed by simple indices of C_mic/C_org and BR/C_mic in conjunction with bacterial community structures determined by polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. While the nutritional pool parameters, such as C_org and C_ext, described basically the changes in soil life-supporting capacity with cultivation interference and vegetation declined, those parameters of biological activity such as FE-C_mic, SIR, and SIR-C_mic as well as bacterial community structures measured by molecular method evidenced well the changes in soil functioning for ecosystem health with the land degradation.     

The research of phosphorus of Xiangxi River nearby the Three Gorges, China

The Xiangxi River is the first middling tributary of the Changjiang River near the Three Gorges Dam. The River is subject to phosphorus pollution mainly from industrial wastewater. As the water quality of the Xiangxi River could directly influence the water quality of the Three Gorges Reservoir, the research on phosphorus levels and its change in the sediment profile of the Xiangxi River could provide useful information in the dynamic changes in the system, thereby offering options for mitigative measures. Water and sediment samples from lower reaches of Xiangxi River were collected and the different forms of phosphorus in sediments of the Xiangxi River were studied. The concentrations of total phosphorus in sediment ranged from 757.67 to 1438.54 mg/kg. Inorganic phosphorus concentrations ranged from 684.63 to 1055.58 mg/kg. Phosphorus contamination was serious in some parts of the Xiangxi River. With an average concentration of 635.17 mg/kg, calcium-bound phosphorus is the main form among different inorganic phosphorus forms. Labile phosphorus and iron/aluminum-bound phosphorus measured 3.40, 0.05and 35.28 mg/kg, respectively. The mobilization potential of phosphorus of sediments was studied through adsorption and release experiments. The equilibrium concentration of phosphorus adsorption and release was around 0.1 mg/L. The initial concentrations of phosphorus in the overlying water and the sediments have obvious effect on phosphorus mobilization potential. In addition, the release rate of phosphorus in sediment increased with water depth.     

Optimization of SAGD Well Elevation

The application of steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) to recover heavy oil sands is becoming increasingly important in the northern Alberta McMurray Formation because of the vast resources/reserves accessible with this mechanism. Selecting the stratigraphic elevations of SAGD well pairs is a vital decision for reservoir evaluation and planning. The inherent uncertainty in the distribution of geological variables significantly influences this decision. Geostatistical simulation is used to capture geological uncertainty, which is used can be transformed into a distribution of the best possible well pair elevations. A simple exhaustive calculation scheme is used to determine the optimum stratigraphic location of a SAGD well pair where the recovery R is maximized. There are three basic steps to the methodology: (1) model the uncertainty in the top continuous bitumen (TCB) and bottom continuous bitumen (BCB) surfaces, (2) calculate the recovery at all possible elevation increments within the TCB and BCB interval, and (3) identify the elevation that maximizes R. This is repeated for multiple TCB/BCB pairs of surfaces to assess uncertainty. The methodology is described and implemented on a subset of data from the Athabasca Oilsands in Fort McMurray, Alberta.     

3D numerical modelling of fluid flow in the Val-d’Or orogenic gold district: major crustal shear zones drain fluids from overpressured vein fields

Fluid flow patterns have been determined using oxygen isotope isopleths in the Val-d’Or orogenic gold district. 3D numerical modelling of fluid flow and oxygen isotope exchange in the vein field shows that the fluid flow patterns can be reproduced if the lower boundary of the model is permeable, which represents middle or lower crustal rocks that are infiltrated by a metamorphic fluid generated at deeper levels. This boundary condition implies that the major crustal faults so conspicuous in vein fields do not act as the only major channel for upward fluid flow. The upper model boundary is impermeable except along the trace of major crustal faults where fluids are allowed to drain out of the vein field. This upper impermeable boundary condition represents a low-permeability layer in the crust that separates the overpressured fluid from the overlying hydrostatic fluid pressure regime. We propose that the role of major crustal faults in overpressured vein fields, independent of tectonic setting, is to drain hydrothermal fluids out of the vein field along a breach across an impermeable layer higher in the crust and above the vein field. This breach is crucial to allow flow out of the vein field and accumulation of metals in the fractures, and this breach has major implications for exploration for mineral resources. We propose that tectonic events that cause episodic metamorphic dehydration create a short-lived pulse of metamorphic fluid to rise along zones of transient permeability. This results in a fluid wave that propagates upward carrying metals to the mineralized area. Earthquakes along crustal shear zones cause dilation near jogs that draw fluids and deposit metals in an interconnected network of subsidiary shear zones. Fluid flow is arrested by an impermeable barrier separating the hydrostatic and lithostatic fluid pressure regimes. Fluids flow through the evolving and interconnected network of shear zones and by advection through the rock matrix. Episodic breaches in the impermeable barrier along the crustal shear zones allow fluid flow out of the vein field.     

秦皇岛市矿产开发引发的地质环境问题及对策

秦皇岛市矿产资源丰富,矿业已成为秦皇岛市特别是地方经济的支柱之一。伴随着矿业的发展,在矿产开发过程中引发的地质环境问题日益突出,如采空区地表变形(地面塌陷、地裂缝等)、岩溶塌陷、露天采矿边坡失稳、尾矿引发的泥石流、水土流失以及地貌景观的破坏等。这些地质环境问题主要分布在北部的山区和丘陵台地区。形成的原因复杂,主要有法制不健全、缺乏强制恢复机制、布局不合理、监管不到位、开采技术落后、不合理开采、资金缺乏以及从业者环保意识淡薄等方面的原因。对于矿山地质环境的保护,应采取加强立法、建立保证金制度、统一规划、加强监管、加大宣传力度以及建立责任追究制度等措施。     

多媒体地理信息系统的网络结构分析

数据模型是GIS的灵魂和关键,为了使开发出的GIS尽可能准确地反映地理空间,能够较好地满足GIS用户各方面的需要,而网络拓扑对网络的构成也至关重要,本文分析和总结了早期和近期GIS几种数据模型的优缺点,并在此基础上提出了整体GIS数据模型及网络设计的几种常见模式.     

Geodatabase版本控制原理剖析

随着地理信息系统的发展及其应用的不断扩大,多用户并发操作、长事务处理以及历史数据回溯管理成为大型空间数据库的基本要求,ESRI在面向对象地理模型(Geodatabase数据模型)中通过版本控制为空间数据库的上述要求提供了有效的解决方案。本文详细分析了Geodatabase版本控制基本原理,为建立、管理大型空间数据库以及研究开发全新面向对象空间数据库管理系统提供参考。     

西北地区的自然环境类型

自然环境区划是国土规划的重要基础，是自然环境综合特征的基本反映.以西北地区的气候分区、地貌分区、植被分区（生态分区）为基础，将西北地区的自然环境类型划分为5个自然分区：阿尔泰-准噶尔区，塔克拉玛干-毛乌素沙漠区，青藏高原东北缘区，黄土高原区，秦巴山地与汉水谷地区.这5个区有完全不同的自然环境特征和资源优势特征，因而开发对策和环境对策是不同的，应予以分别对待.正确认识各区的自然环境特征，才能实现西北地区社会经济及环境的可持续发展。     

石太线下行K135滑坡特征与成因分析

滑坡位于石太线下行K135路段右侧偏西，平面上呈近似椭圆形，由原有老滑坡复活而形成。根据滑坡勘察，滑坡所处地貌单元属侵蚀剥蚀低中山区，滑坡区地层组成为第四系松散堆积物下伏晚古生代二叠系石千峰组泥岩、砂岩互层。在分析滑坡几何特征、地质构造特征、水文地质条件及滑坡变形破坏特征的基础上，探讨了滑坡的成因，认为老滑坡的成因以自然形成为主，新滑坡则发育并活动于老滑坡堆积物中，因某部门在老滑坡体前缘修建收费站，进行了大面积不适当的工程开挖，形成临空面，加之降雨的作用降低了土体的粘聚力及抗剪强度，在上覆岩土体的重力作用下形成新滑坡。老滑坡为巨型厚层滑坡，属于自然滑坡，新滑坡为大型中层滑坡，属于工程滑坡。     

青海气候条件对牧草再生性影响的研究

选取1994～2001年河南、甘德两站牧草再生草资料及同期气象资料，通过分析同一地区不同时期及同一时期不同地区气候条件对牧草再生性的影响，建立了牧草再生草产量气候模式，讨论了再生草增、减产的气候条件。研究得出：同一地区不同时期和同一时期不同地区因气候条件不同，割草不一定能增产。